


Flying

by aceofhearts88



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Flying, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7581355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flying was more than just a job, it was more than just a way of movement. Flying was their life, flying was in their very soul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flying

Flying was...magical. It was something truly magical, mesmerizing. Something you couldn't really describe with words.

Flying was being free.

Seeing the world disappear below you, seeing people and buildings and whole streets become smaller and smaller, seeing the clouds come closer. Until there was nothing around you but air and the endless sky.

Flying was being weightless.

Turning in circles miles over the ground, dancing around the tips of the Empire State Building, letting the wind guide your moves. Until there seemed to be nothing anymore that could pull you back down to the ground.

Flying was a dream that so many people had.

And for Sam and Rhodey it had come true.

\--

Sam laughed as he launched himself off of the roof of the highest base building again, spreading out the wings to feel the wind drawing him up higher and higher. Looking around himself until he spotted the gray suit shooting past him, he still didn't stop laughing just pushed himself up higher.

In his ears, Rhodey was laughing as well, loud and free and full of pure joy and happiness as they chased each other through the sky above the base. Huge wide circles, shooting way up high and then swooping way down low again. Again and again.

Laughing like children on christmas morning, so incredibly happy. Redwing chasing between and around them like an overexcited puppy, always quicker, always bendier, always more daring still. Swooping under the parked Quinjets. Shooting off towards them again. No one could really tell who was happier. Humans or bird bot.

“Come on, Wilson, don't get lazy.” Rhodey teased him and then turned east again, prompting Sam to growl and chase him once more, pulling his wings close to his body so that he would fall faster and then using the momentum to push himself up again, flying under Rhodey and let the frantic swooshing of his wings throw him off balance for just a small second.

Laughing he spun around again and took off towards the forest again, Redwing hot on his heels and Rhodey's little growl in his ears. 

“Yeah you better rush, Sam, I'll get you.”

They were flying, so free and happy. And nothing and no one there to stop them, to call their fun off, to tell them it was enough. They could fly all day long, just fly and feel the wind in their hands, to feel the sky be closer than the ground.

\--

If they landed, never really on the ground, always up on the rooftop of the base, then it was just so they could catch their breath for a short moment. Sam would push his goggles up, Rhodey would pull up the faceplate of the War Machine suit, and they would grin at each other.

One of them would lean in first. Sam would have to push himself up on his toes a little to balance out the height difference they had when Rhodey was in the suit. Rhodey would carefully and so very gently curl his suited up arms around Sam's waist to hold onto him.

They would smile at each other and their lips would meet for a deep kiss, their eyes would close. And though they were standing with both feet safely on concrete ground, it would still feel like flying in their hearts.

Flying was more than just soaring through the sky. 

They were always flying when they were together, they always felt free, and young and reckless, and so happy when they were together. They were part of a team, but they also were more, they were a team on their own, and up in the sky together, nothing could stop them.

“I love you.” Rhodey said as they broke apart again, gazing into each other's eyes, “I love you so much.” And Sam grinned, pressed another kiss to his lips.  
“I love you, too.” Sam told him and then laughed when Redwing pushed himself between them, buzzing excitedly and chirping some sounds, “And we love you, too.” He added and grinned at Rhodey who beamed down at him.

Redwing shot off again and they pulled apart.

“Let's show what interrupting a moment gets him.” Rhodey chuckled and the faceplate came down, Sam snorted but pulled his goggles back in place as well, and then they were back in the sky. Both of them chasing after Redwing now who made a nose dive into the forest to get away.

\--

For a while it seemed as if the Accords, the fighting, the Civil War has changed everything. The team divided into two fronts. No way out. No more talking possible, they are actually fighting to see who gets to win. No more debate over who is right. Suddenly it turned into who is strongest.

And flying was no longer fun, flying was no longer a dream.

It became a nightmare. A weapon. A means to get the upper hand.

They didn't really fight each other, but they also fought to defend what they thought was right. They fought their friends to defend their friends. It was a family at war.

And then Rhodey fell.

And flying became a risk, a danger. Flying became something to be feared.

\--

Sam didn't want to fly anymore, he didn't even want to think about flying or his wings ever again while they were on the run, hiding out in safehouses and small ratty old apartments. Just Steve and him by then, everyone else had left, they had places to be, still family and people who cared about them left in places where they could still be safe.

Sam had nothing and he was a wanted man.

And every waking minute was spent in a nightmare. Every non-awake moment was set in a nightmare. All he could see was Riley falling, Rhodey falling. Everyone always falling.

And he didn't want to fly anymore. If he staid on the ground, no one might fall anymore. No one might fall and get hurt, get killed, anymore while he was forced to just watch.

\--

Rhodey wanted to fly, all he wanted was to fly again, to be up in the sky again, to show himself and the world that nothing could ground him. He wanted to go out again, to take to the skies in his suit and find Sam.

Find him and tell him that nothing changed, that he still loved him so much and that he wanted nothing more than for Sam to come home.

He worked endlessly, with and without the leg braces, day by day towards that one goal in mind.

\--

Sam didn't want to fly anymore, fate decided to let him fall.

Fighting against rogue parts in the government, running again barely a week after they had finally been pardoned and had already prepared themselves to go home again, to fix what had been done to rip apart their family.

Sam had hoped again.

And then the rogue forces had come and the only thing he could have done was run, run up the stairs and up and up and up. No other way, just up onto the roof and then he was suddenly surrounded and these people didn't want to see him in prison, these people didn't care about prison sentences and locking him away for the rest of his life.

These people didn't want him to have a life anymore.

And Sam was falling.

Until he wasn't.

\--

“I got you. Sam, I got you. It's okay.” Rhodey repeated for the third time, keeping Sam held against his chest with his bare arms now, suit pulled back to feel that Sam was safe, “We're on the ground. Here.” He continued and guided one of Sam's hands away from where they had been clutching at the chest plate of the suit and towards the wet street below them, “I caught you, you're no longer falling.”

Sam still shook against him, held onto him, breathing way too quick and looked up at him, bright wide eyes.

“Rhodey?” He whispered and Rhodey smiled, felt the relief finally settle into his bones for good, calming his racing heart, wiping away the blind hot panic he had felt since seeing Sam being pushed off the roof of the skyscraper.  
“Yeah, I'm here. I got you.” He promised and Sam started sobbing, falling apart against him, “Shh, it's okay. You're gonna be alright. No falling on my watch, no one is going to fall again. Our only way is up.”

And he looked up when the Quinjet set down not far from them, Wanda and Natasha rushing out to push back the crowd that had gathered around them since Rhodey had caught a wildly screaming Sam and touched down on the ground with him again, in the middle of a busy street.

“We're going home, Sam. We're going home and it's gonna be okay.”

\--

Sam didn't want to fly anymore until he did.

Hovering high above the base, as far up as he was willing to go without any further gear, already able to feel the air get thinner, the wind a gentle breeze around him, curling around his arms and legs like the softest blanket. The clouds so close, and the world so small.

Redwing set himself down on his head in the next moment and Sam snorted, watching the people scuffle around the base like ants. So small. So vulnerable. 

“You getting lazy, Red?” He wanted to know and Redwing made a bored noise, “Oh I see, we're bored, huh? Show me what you got, little on, let's see who's gotten more rusty.” He put the challenge down and Redwing was off. Sam right behind him, diving down low and scaring all wits out of Steve before pulling up high again, laughing and screaming in pure joy.

He felt like he was living again.

Especially when Rhodey appeared at his side and with a quick little nod exchanged, they both chased Redwing into the forest, working effortlessly together to catch the little bot. Two puzzle pieces falling together, like a team. Like a couple.

Flying was being alive.


End file.
